Spark arrester for steam locomotives



Jan. 6, 1953 c. A. KUTCHER 2,624,503

SPARK ARRESTER FOR STEAM LOCOMOTIVES IML-w1 for Jan. 6, 1953 C. A.KUTCHER SPARK ARRESTER FOR STEAM LocoMoTIvEs 2 SHEETS--SHEET 2 FiledJan. 12

Patented Jan. 6, 1953 TED STATES EN OFFICE SER-K ARRESTER FOB STEAIVI 9Claims.

This invention relates to an improved construction of sparkl arresterfor steam locomotives which will effectively'funotion to prevent live orburning particles of coal or cinders from being discharged from alocomotive stack without detrimentally hampering the passage of thesmoke andexhaust gases to the stack.

A portion of the exhaust steam of steam driven locomotives is employedto effect a proper draft to the smoke stack from the lire box. As thissteam exhaust is discharged intermittently toward the stack the surgingpressure thereof creates so much suction that a considerable amount oflive or burning coal and cinders are extracted from the fire box throughthe boiler tubes and expelled by the steam jet with the exhaust gasesthrough the stack'.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to providea spark arrester means lbetween the stack and steam jet which willeffectively function to remove all live particles of coal and cindersfrom the flue passage before it enters the stack for returning the liveparticles by forced draft, gravity and suction to a position from whichthe particles can be readily returned to the fire box or to a collectingreceptacle.

A further and important object of the present invention is to provide ahelical vane means of novel construction for centrifugally separatinglive particles of coal and cinders from the exhaust gases withoutmaterially hampering the passage of the exhaust gases to the smokestack.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel baffle means forreceivingr and deecting the live particles away from the flue passageand downwardly to a position to, be returned to the fire box or to acollecting receptacle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a helical screw means ofnovel construction which will effectively prevent the live particlesfrom traveling upwardly through the ilue passage adjacent the axis ofthe helical means and thus escaping into the stack without beingsubjected to suflicient centrifugal force to separate the live particlesfrom the exhaust gases.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for receiving thelive particles which will effectively function to return the particlesto a position from which the particles may be returned to the re box ordeposited in a receptacle without danger of the coal and cinderparticles clogging up the return means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a spark arrestercomposed of a relatively few parts which is capable of being readilyassembled or disassembled. and which willbeextremely efficient anddurable for accomplishing its in.- tended result and especially adaptedfor use in a conventional exhaust system where the exhaust steam isemployed for providing a forced draft to the stack.

Numerous other objects and advantagesof the invention will hereinafterbecome more fully apparent from the following description of thedrawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, andwherein:

Figure 1 is a, side elevational view, partly in vertical section,k of aportion of a locomotive showing the novel spari: arrester appliedthereto;

Figure 2 is. an. enlarged central vertical sectional view, partly. inside elevation of the spark arrester;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional View of the spark arrester takenvsubstantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a portion of thespark arrester taken at an angle to the plane of the, section of Figure2;

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional View, partly inside elevationof a portion of the invention;

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of another portionthereof;

Figure '7 is a side elevational view ofthe deiiector unit shown removedfrom its supporting structure, and

Figure 8 is a horizontal sectional view thereof taken substantiallyalong a plane as indicated by the line 8-8 of Figure 'i'.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the novel spark arrester inits entirety and which constitutes the invention is designated generallyit and is illustrated in Figure l in an applied position in alocomotive, a portion only of which has been illustrated. The locomotiveportion, designated generally I I includes a fronti chamber l2' in whichthe spark arrester I is disposed and which is disposed forwardly of theboiler |73.

rChe spark arrester l 0 includes an outer casing iii which is preferablycylindrical in cross section and which has an open top I5 and aninclined bottom le. The inclined bottom l 6 is provide-d with arestricted depending outlet l'iv at, its lower enc. A short length ofpipe or tubing i3 is secured intermediate of its ends in an opening leof they inclined bottom I6 in any suitable manner and is disposedsubstantially axially of the casing le. The tubular conduit I8 isprovided with a flared lower inlet end 2li which is disposed below thecasing bottom I6 and substantially above the bottom wall of the chamberI2. A steam exhaust conduit 2| extends into the chamber I2, and has anupturned discharge end which terminates in a nozzle 22. The nozzle 22discharges into the conduit I8 adjacent its flared inlet end 20. Thetubular conduit I8, constituting a part of the flue passage, and thepipe 2i having the nozzle 22 are conventional in steam drivenlocomotives; however, the conduit I8 functons in a unique manner withthe casing I4 and other parts of the spark arrester I0, hereinafter tobe described.

A deflector unit, designated generally 23 is removably disposed in thecasing I4 and detachably supported on the upper end of the conduit I8.The deilector unit 23 includes a series of vertically spaced annularstrips 24 which are disposed in substantially horizontal planes and invertically spaced substantially parallel relationship to one another.The annular strips 24 which form bailles are relatively wide in adirection radially of the deflector unit 23 and are provided at theirouter edges with downwardly ilared peripheral portions 25. The bailles24 are connected in vertically spaced relationship to one another by aplurality of vertically disposed rods 2G which are circumferentiallyspaced relatively to one another and each of which is suitably securedto a portion of the downwardly flared outer edge of each baille member24, as by brazing or welding. The deflector unit 23 also includes anannular base member 21 to the outer edge or periphery of which the lowerends of the rods 2S are secured. Accordingly, the baille members 24 aresupported by the rods 26 which are in turn supported by the base member21. Said base member 21 is provided with an annular depending ilange 28at its inner edge which engages detachably around the upper end of theconduit I8,

Said flange 28 and the conduit portion engaged thereby are provided withregistering threaded openings 29 for receiving screw fastenings 30 fordetachably securing the deilector unit upon the upper end of the conduitI8 and within the casing I4. The outer diameter of the deflector unit 23is substantially smaller than the internal diameter of the casing I4 toprovide an annular chamber SI therebetween, for a purpose which willhereinafter become apparent. When the deilector unit 23 is in an appliedposition, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 5, its upper end terminatesbeneath and adjacent the open upper end I of the casing I4.

A multi-vane helicoid baffle extends through the deilector unit 23 andis detachably supported in the upper part of the conduit I8. Saidbaille, designated generally 32 includes a double flight primary vane 33the corresponding flights 33a of which are oppositely disposed withrespect to one another and are disposed around and secured to acentrally disposed stem 34 which is preferably tubular and extends fromend-to-end of the baille 32. The lower end of the stem 34 is closed by aplug 35 that preferably has a depending conical shaped head. As seen at33h, each of the vanes 33a is provided with a lower end portion ofreduced diameter so that each vane 33a is provided with a downwardlyfacing radially extending shoulder 36. The upper ends of the vanes 33aare likewise provided with radially reduced portions 33e definingcorresponding upwardly facing shoulders 36a. The helicoid baille 32 alsoincludes a double ilight secondary vane 31 of substantially smanerdiameter than the vane 33 the lower end of which commences above andadjacent the vane portions 33h. The secondary double flight vane 31extends to the upper end of the helicoid 32 and the two flights 31a,thereof are likewise oppositely disposed and suitably secured around theaxial stem 34. The secondary double flight vane 31 is substantiallysmaller in diameter than the primary vane 33 and each convolutionthereof has substantially the same pitch as the convolution of the vane33 which is disposed therebeneath. rIhe vane 3'. is substantiallysmaller in diameter than the vane 33 but the relative diameters of thevanes as illustrated may be varied. The outer diameter of the helicoidbaille 32 is slightly smaller than the internal diameter of thedefiector unit 23 as defined by the inner edges of the baille elements24 so that the helicoid 32 can be inserted downwardly through thedeilector unit 23 after the latter has been secured to the upper end ofthe conduit I8, as previously described. The flight portions 33h of thevane 33 are sized to fit into the conduit I8 and the flight portions 33aare larger in diameter than the conduit I8 so that their downwardlyfacing shoulders 36 will rest upon portions of the upper edge of theconduit I8 and upon portions of the member 21 to support the helicoid 32in an upright position within the deilector unit 23 and substantiallyaxially thereof and of the casing I4.

The open upper end I5 of the casing I4 is closed by an annular cover 38having a depending marginal ilange 39 which engages around the upperportion of the cylindrical wall of the casing I4 and which is providedwith openings 4U to register with openings of said cylindrical wall forreceiving screw fastenings 4I by which the cover 38 is detachablysecured on the upper end of the casing I4. The closure 38 is providedwith a central opening dened by a downwardly ilared annular flange 42 0fsaid closure in which is suitably secured the lower end of a smoke stack43 which extends upwardly therefrom through an opening 44 in the topwall of the chamber I2. The edge of the downwardly flared annular coverportion 42 bears upon the upwardly facing shoulders 38a support thehelicoid 32 against upward displacement and to brace the upper endthereof against any swinging or lateral movement relatively to thecasing I4.

A short length of pipe 45 is suitably secured to and extends downwardlyfrom the casing outlet I1 and is connected at its lower end to anupwardly opening end of an elbow joint 48. A horizontally disposedconduit 41 is connected to and extends from the opposite end of theelbow joint 46 longitudinally along the boiler I3 and has an oppositedischarge end 48, as seen in Figure 1, which may open into a receptacle49 or which may discharge into the nre box, not shown, of the locomotiveII. A small tube 50 is tapped into the steam pipe 2| adjacent itsupturned end and extends therefrom into the elbow joint 46 and isprovided with a nozzle 5I which discharges into the elbow joint 46toward the conduit 41, as seen in Figure 2.

When the locomotive is in operation the exhaust steam will flow throughthe pipe 2I in the direction as indicated by the arrow in Figure l insurging pressures and as the exhaust steam is discharged from the nozzle22 it will create a suction in the inlet end 20 of the conduit I8. Theexhaust gases will thus be drawn from the nre box, not shown, throughthe boiler tubes 52 into the chamber I2 and thencev into the` pipe end2U. This surging steam pressure will likewise draw burning particles ofcoal and cinder from the fire box through the tubes 52 wh-ich willlikewise be conveyed upwardly through the conduit I3 into the casingIll. The steam jet from the nozzle 22 will create a substantial updraftthrough .the tube I3 and easing le. To prevent the burning particlesfrom being blown through the casing Ill into the stack #i3 the deflectorunit 23 and helicoid baille 32 are provided. The large double flighthelical vane 253` will cause the exhaust gases carrying the burningparticles to swirl lspirally while' en route between the ends of thehelicoid 32 so that the heavier particles will be deflectedcentrifugally away from the axis of the helicoid 32 toward the annularbaille plates 2t and these burning particles will be thrown outwardly bycentrifugal force between the baille plates 2t into the annularsurrounding chamber 3l of the casing Ill. The downturned outer edges 25of the annulaimembers Et will deflect the burning particles downwardlyas they are ejected centrifugal-ly into the chamber Si and a smallpercentage of the steam will also pass into the chamber 3l with theseparticles which together with gravity force will propel the burningparticles down the inclined bottom I6 into the discharge pipe 45. Shouldany of the burning particles continue upwardly within the dellector 23to above the upper delector plate te thereof, such particles would bedeflected radially outwardly by the annular downwardly flared closureportion 42 and will thus be directed into the chamber EI. Likew-ise, asmall additional part of the steam pressure will be dellected under theclosure 38 by its portion l2 to create a back pressure at the top of theannular chamber 3| which will prevent any of the live particles frompassing upwardly in said chamber 3l and thus reaching the stack d3. Thestem 3d is preferably of a diameter approximately one-fourth thediameter of the helicoid 32 and functions to prevent or minimize thetendency of burning particles to pass axially up the double vane 33.However, the secondary vane 3l addi-tionally vand primarily functions todeflect the burning particles away from the axis of the helicoid and sothat said particles will be fully subjected to centrifugal force by -thevane 33a. The steam jet from the nozzle 5I will create a suction in thepipe l5 to draw the burning particles downwardly there through and intoa position to be blown by said steam jet Ithrough the conduit lll intothe collection receptacle 49 or back into the locomotive fire box, ifthe discharge if? is located to open into the re box.

As illustrated in the drawings, the pitch of the vanes 33 and 31 variesfrom end-to-end of the helicoid 32 so that the inclination of the vanesis greater nearer their bottoms than adjacent their tops. Thus, theupward movement of the exhaust gases and burning particles isincreasingly resisted by -the helicoid from the bottom to the topthereof and the centrifugal force exerted by the helicoid likewiseincreases toward its upper end so that with a minimum obstruction of thedraft through the casing I4 all of the burning particles can beextracted from the exhaust gases between the conduit I8 and stack t3.

Various modications and changes are contemplated and may obviously berestored to, without departing from the spirit or scope of .theinvention as hereinafter dened by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A spark arrester comprising an upright casing having an open top andan inclined bottom, said casing having a restricted outlet at the lowerend of said inclined bottom, an. inlet conduit extending through andsecured intermediate of its ends in said inclined bottom and supportedthereby axially of the casing, a steam discharge nozzle opening upwardlyinto lthe lower inlet end of said conduit for creating an updraftthrough the conduit and casing, a deflector unit i having an annularbase portion disposed around anddetachably secured to the upper end ofsaid conduit |and supported thereby within the casing and axiallythereof, said deflector unit including a plurality of rods fixed to andrising from said annular base and a plurality of annular deflectorplates connected to and. supported by said rods invertically spacedrelationship to one another, a helicoid baille including a double flightvane extending throughV said deflector unit and demo'untably supportedtherein on the upper end of said conduit, an vannular closure detachablymounted on the` open upper end of said casing and having a centralopening disposed in alignment with saidv helicoid baille, and a stackhaving a lower endl secured in said central opening to receive theexhaust gases from sai-dr casing, said helicoid baille functioning todeect burning particles carried by the exhaust gases centrifugallyoutwardly through the spaces between the annular deflecto'r plates to bereturned by gravity downwardly through the outer part of said casingdown the inclined casing bottom to said restricted outlet.

2. A spark arrester as in claim 1., said casing delining lan annularchamber around the deflector unit into which the burning particles arecentrifugally ejected through the deilector unit, and each of saidannular deflector plates having a downwardly flared peripheral portionfor deecting the burning particles downwardly through the annularchamber of said casing.

3. A spark arrester as in claim 1, said casing dening an annular chamberaround the deector unit into which the burning particles arecentrifugally ejected through the deflector unit, and eac-h of saidannular deflector plates having a downwardly flared peripheral portionfor deecting the burning particles downwardly through the annularchamber of said casing, said annular closure having a downwardly andinwardly llared annular portion defining the central opening thereof foradditionally deflecting burning particles toward the annular chamber ofthe casing and which bears upon a portion of the helicoid baille tocombine with said conduit to support the helicoid baille in an uprightposition within the casing.

4. A `spark arrester as in claim l, said double flight vane having arestricted bottom portion fitting into said conduit defining downwardlyfacing shoulders disposed 'to rest upon the upper end of the conduit tosupport the helicoid baille in an upright position in the casing.

5. A spark arrester as in claim 1, Said double flight vane having arestricted bottom portion tting into said conduit and definingdownwardly facing shoulders disposed to rest upon the upper end of theconduit to support the helicoid baille in an lupright position in thecasing, said vane having a restricted upper end extending into the stackproviding upwardly facing shoulders bearing against the closure forholding the upper end of the helicoid baille against upward movement 7or lateral movement relatively to the casing when the closure is in anapplied position.

6. A spark arrester as in claim 1, said double Hight vane having arestricted bottom portion fitting into said conduit defining downwardlyfacing shoulders disposed to rest upon the upper end of the conduit tosupport the helicoid baflie in an upright position in the casing, saidhelicoid barile including a secondary double iiiglit spiral vaneinterposed between the convolutions of the rst mentioned vane of adiameter substantially less than the diameter of said first mentionedvane for deflecting burning particles away from the axis of the helicoidbaille.

7. A spark arrester as in clm'm 1, said double flight vane having arestricted bottom portion fitting into said conduit defining downwardlyfacing shoulders disposed to rest upon the upper end of the conduit tosupport the helicoid baflie in an upright position in the casing, saidhelicoid baille including a secondary double iiight spiral vaneinterposed between the convolutions of the first mentioned vane of adiameter substantially less than the diameter of said first mentionedvane for deflecting burning particles away from the axis of the helicoidbaille, said helicoid baie including a centrally disposed stem extendingfrom end-to-end thereof, and said first mentioned and secondary variesbeing disposed around and secured to said stem.

8. A spark arrester as in claim 1, said double iiight vane having arestricted bottom portion fitting into said conduit defining downwardlyfacing shoulders disposed to rest upon the upper end of the conduit tosupport the helicoid barile in an upright position in the casing, thepitch of said vane diminishing from its lower end to 8 its upper endwhereby the burning particles will be subjected to increased centrifugalforce as they approach the stack.

9. A spark arrester comprising a casing, a stack communicating with andrising from the casing, an inlet conduit extending into the casingbeneath the stack, a steam discharge nozzle discharging into the conduitupwardly toward the stack, a helicoid baille disposed in the casingbetween the inlet conduit and stack, a deflector unit mounted in thecasing on the inlet conduit and around the helicoid baffle including aplurality of deiiector plates each surrounding a part of the helicoidbaffle, said deflector plates being spaced longitudinally of thehelicoid baffle to define spaces therebetween through which burningparticles carried by exhaust gases are deected outwardly into the casingportion surrounding the defiector unit by centrifugal force from thehelicoid baille to be conveyed by gravity away from the stack.

CHARLES A. KUTCHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

